Some of the hottest practice-changing trials have been presented at the ACC’s Annual Scientific Sessions. Late-Breaking Clinical Trials (LBCTs) were first introduced at ACC’s meeting in 2001, and since their inception, LBCTs have become one of the main reasons hundreds of scientists submit their findings each year for consideration into the ACC’s program. It is also one of the many reasons thousands of cardiovascular professionals travel far and wide to attend and hear first-hand the practice-changing research.

While there have been numerous practice-changing major randomized trials or large-scale observational studies over the years, we’ve gone through a list of over 400 trials, and picked out some of the top LBCTs from past Annual Scientific Session events. From these trials, we have learned more about antiplatelet therapy; that treatment with a percutaneous coronary intervention was not associated with a difference in death or MI compared with treatment with medical therapy; that transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis demonstrated non-inferiority for all-cause mortality at 1 year compared to surgical aortic valve replacement; and much more.

What do you think are some of the top practice-changing trials to have been released at the College’s Annual Scientific Session? What research do you think currently in the works will shape the future of cardiology? Tell us at blog.cardiosource.org. It’s also not too late to submit science to be considered for ACC.14 in Washington, DC. LBCTs are due by Jan. 6, 2014. Also, don’t miss the three LBCT joint sessions with the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of the American Medical Association and New England Journal of Medicine planned for ACC.14. Visit accscientificsession.org for more information and to register for ACC.14.

Cannon is editor of CardioSource Science and Quality, and Bhatt and Eagle are associate editors of CardioSource Science and Quality.

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